High Blood Pressure Linked to Dementia

It’s well known high blood pressure increases your risk for stroke. A stroke occurs when blood flow to an area of the brain is blocked and brain cells become deprived of oxygen and die. Individuals with high blood pressure are 4-6 times more likely to have a stroke. An individual’s risk of having a stroke is directly related to how elevated their blood pressure is.

Now there is evidence linking high blood pressure with dementia and the risk is also directly related to how high your blood pressure is.

A subset of participants enrolled in the Women’s Health Initiative, comprised of 1403 women over the age of 65, were followed for eight years. MRI scans revealed increased white matter lesions in women with high blood pressure. White matter lesions indicate a weak insulation around nerve cells necessary for brain communication.

A second study led by Johns Hopkins University followed 983 middle age or older men and women for over 15 years. Similar results were found related to white matter lesions. The higher the blood pressure levels the greater the brain damage.

Now, the connection between high blood pressure and dementia is not clear cut. Some studies have shown high blood pressure treatment to lower dementia risk and others have not found a link. Currently the National Institutes of Health is preparing to begin a study of 7500 patients with high blood pressure age 55 or older.

All the best,
Lisa Nelson RD
7 Natural Ways to Lower Blood Pressure
http://www.lowerbloodpressurewithlisa.com